33 Weeks!

How far along? 33 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 24 lbs.

Pregnancy Symptoms: Swelling and moving like a tortoise.

Maternity clothes? Yes. I wear what fits.

Stretch marks? No.

Sleep: Love it!

Best moment this week: Getting my "nesting" on. Thanks to Rob, the house is so much more ready for baby than it was before the weekend. Oh, and we had a sizing ultrasound last Thursday. An average 32 weeker is supposed to be around 3.75 lbs. She's measuring 5lbs 2oz, give or take 3/4 lb. O_O

Movement: Yes. There's a foot sticking out of my side right now.

Food cravings: Christmas cookies - but I don't think it has anything to do with pregnancy. Tis the season!

Gender: Girl

Belly Button in or out? Still in.

What I miss: Walking without pain.

What I am looking forward to: Non-baby related - I can't wait to see M's face on Christmas morning.

Milestones: 6 weeks left! Woohoo!

31 Weeks!

How far along? 31 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 22 lbs.

Pregnancy Symptoms: lots of random aches and pains.

Maternity clothes? They are starting to not fit me. =(

Stretch marks? No.

Sleep: I'll take as much as I can get.

Best moment this week: Taking steps to feel better emotionally.

Movement: Yes. She likes to stretch out in there. Too bad she's running out of room!

Food cravings: Not really. But, I did want an ice cream sundae last night.

Gender: She's still a girl. ::whew!::

Belly Button in or out? It's in, but it's now flat. So, who knows? It might pop out one of these days. It will be the first time in my life I've had an outtie.

What I miss: Seeing my feet.

What I am looking forward to: Having her. I'm now at the point where I can't wait until the end.

Milestones: My swelling has started. Booooooo!

28 Weeks!

How far along? 28 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: According to the OB earlier this week, I'm up 18lbs.

Pregnancy Symptoms: RLP, a bit of heartburn, and 3rd tri exhaustion

Maternity clothes? I bought a new blue dress for the holidays. I think it might be in my mailbox right now!!!

Stretch marks? No.

Sleep: I've been sleeping really well. It's the "hard" kind of sleep where nothing wakes me up.

Best moment this week: Getting the nursery painted!

Movement: Yes. She's starting to reduce the kicks and do a lot more rolling around.

Food cravings: I don't know if you could consider it a food, but I'm in love with DD's decaf Gingerbreak Lattes.

Gender: Team Pink!

Belly Button in or out? Still in, and will probably stay that way.

What I miss: Having a winter coat that fits me.

What I am looking forward to: Decorating for Christmas! I just bought a bunch of Christmas things (wrapping, new lights, a new tabletop tree) and I can't wait to put them all out!

Milestones: I'm now far enough along to be going to the OB's office every two weeks!

24 Weeks!

So, it's been a while, huh? I have no excuse except that a) I've been lazy and b) I'm trying to find some new questions. These are kind of getting old. So, this will probably be the last week of these, unless I can't find anything else that's better. =)

How far along? 24 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Still haven't replaced the batteries in the scale.

Pregnancy Symptoms: Aches and pains. Round ligament pains can suck it!

Maternity clothes? I've been in mat clothes for a while now. But, I'm realizing that the shirts I used the first time aren't exactly covering my belly well. So, unless I go shopping for new stuff, I will be housebound by January and walking around in my underwear. And, that is something no one wants to see.

Stretch marks? Nada.

Sleep: M has had a couple of rough nights, but last night was the first night he slept all the way through the night. I did too. I didn't even get up to pee. Which meant I raced to the bathroom this morning!

Best moment this week: My full night's sleep.

Movement: A ton! She kicks, rolls and kicks some more. And, Rob has now felt her too.

Food cravings: Genoa Salami.

Gender: Yes, she has one.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: A good, cold beer.

What I am looking forward to: The holidays.

Milestones: Does outgrowing my maternity clothes while I'm only in the 2nd trimester count?

And, some other pictures that I haven't uploaded until now...

23 Weeks:


My belly around 22 1/2 weeks from the top:


My belly around 22 1/2 weeks from the top, if I lean and arch my back. She's pointy!!!


My 22 week picture:

21 Weeks!

(Pic to be uploaded when I'm not sitting on my bum being lazy.)

How far along? 21 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: The scale ran out of batteries so I don't know.

Pregnancy Symptoms: I'm super emo lately.

Maternity clothes? Still need to shop.

Stretch marks? No. Let's keep it that way, oh stretch mark gods, mmmmkay?

Sleep: I love sleep.

Best moment this week: This has nothing to do with my pregnancy, but hearing M say his first full sentence was amazing!

Movement: I can feel her a lot, especially if I lay on my left side. Rob hasn't been able to feel her yet.

Food cravings: Apple Pie.

Gender: I'm pretty sure she's still a girl.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: The fall weather - where did it go? It's 80+ degrees here today.

What I am looking forward to: Shopping for little dresses.

Milestones: I can no longer sit on the little stepstool in the bathroom. We use it to sit on while potty training M. My belly gets in the way and it hurts when I stand up.

20 Weeks!

How far along? 20 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Still right around 5 pounds.

Pregnancy Symptoms: I have a bump. =)

Maternity clothes? Yes, please. After going through all of my winter stuff, I realize that I need to go shopping. Three pairs of pants is not going to cut it until February.

Stretch marks? Nope, and I've started using my Palmer's lotion again.

Sleep: I love sleep.

Best moment this week: Having our big ultrasound...IT'S A GIRL!!!!

Movement: All the time. Seriously, she rarely stops.

Food cravings: Dunkin Donuts Cheddar Cheese Bagel Twists. I could seriously eat them every day, all day.

Gender: GIRL, GIRL, GIRL!!!!

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: My little boy! I went through all of his clothes today and I feel like I can't remember when he was so small. It makes me really sad.

What I am looking forward to: Painting the little girl's room. I can't wait to start pulling the room together for her arrival.

Milestones: We're halfway there! Woohoo!!!

19 Weeks - and welcome my guest blogger!

And tonight's special guest blogger is Rob.... Rob come-on down and take the keyboard and play our favorite game...... what is new with your expecting wife?

First thing is first... I am doing very well thank you for asking. What I have noticed the most, walking into rooms behind my pregnant wife, is nobody, I mean nobody ever asks me how I am feeling.... so for the record I am feeling happy and a bit tired, but mostly happy... thank you for asking. Now on to Terri, well we will talk about her some later. Back to me... have you ever noticed that pregnant women have massive cravings? I am seriously wondering if my wife is going to give birth to a quart of Eddy's Mint chocolate chip? And when she runs out of her ice cream she thinks nothing of eating mine. That makes me sad... bad wife... Okay now on to the questions.

How far along? 19 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: barely a pound, she looks perfect, especially from behind.

Pregnancy Symptoms: ummm has baby in uterus... just saying that is clearly a symptom.

Maternity clothes? I spare no expense for my wife, I have taken down the curtains and begun to tailor them into a mumu... because if you saw her the last few weeks of her first preganancy you would know I am just planning ahead.

Stretch marks? None that I have seen... and I peak when she isn't looking. But then again I am easily distracted, damm those things are big.

Sleep: I sleep just fine so how the heck would I know... seriously, when my wife is pregnant she is CRAZY when she sleeps. She has attacked me, digging her newly sharpened nails/claws into the back of my head, for reason unknown to this author. But that was last pregnancy. So far this time, we have a lot of talking and babbling nonsense in the middle of the night. I am still waiting for it to get weird again. But in truth she doesn't sleep nearly as much this pregnancy. Of course, she slept 8 of the 9 months lst time.

Best moment this week: When the Pats won Sunday. As for Terri her best moment happens every morning waking up realizing she married so well... oh and I guess when Maddux said I blahlablh you mommy. In Maddux talk that means I love you mommy.

Movement: Nope she stays on the couch... but the babys seems to be kicking like crazy.

Food cravings: I have bought stock in Eddys; Haagen Daz and Ben and Jerry's and I am cleaning up.

Gender: I am a man dammit. These are just silly questions. Ohhh and I think the baby she is carrying is a boy.

Belly Button in or out? Lets be honest when I get to look at her without her shirt... I definitely don't notice the belly button. Dang those things are big. Again I get easily distracted.

What I miss: My wife sans mood swings... for the record I think those pregnant hormones might just be the cause.

What I am looking forward to: the world series... sorry just one of these questions has to be about me.

Milestones: My wife can still cook raw meats so far so good. This is great news, as I still light a candle for turkey meatloaf past.

Any other comments: Well I am guessing this will be my first and last post... just saying I doubt my wife will think this was a good idea, but hey you never know. But don't worry, when she isn't looking, I might just sneak back on.

update... I could be invited back after reading this. I think she pee'd her pants laughing... and yes I mean that literally and it wouldn't be the first time

18 Weeks!

How far along? 18 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Around 5 pounds gained.

Pregnancy Symptoms: Not much really.

Maternity clothes? I'm on the hunt for a new pair of maternity jeans that will last me for the next 5-6 months. I have two pairs from when I was pregnant with M, but one is uncomfortable and the other is falling apart. I'm a fan of the full belly panels so if you have any suggestions, feel free to comment or email me.

Stretch marks? Nada

Sleep: I'm definitely sleeping harder than usual. It's getting more and more difficult to drag myself out of bed in the morning - even when I hear the "Mommy! Mooooommmmmmmyyyyyyyy" from the other room.

Best moment this week: Getting my c-section date. February 1, 2011 is our official eviction date! That's also our exact 39 week mark. So, the baby will be out on or before then.

Movement: It's getting stronger and stronger. I thought that it was strong enough for Rob to feel the other night, but he still can't feel it yet.

Food cravings: Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. Mmmmmmmmm...........

Gender: Next week is our big ultrasound.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Wine - same as last week.

What I am looking forward to: All the fun things we plan to do with M this fall - apple picking and Santa's Village to name a few.

Milestones: Is having a c-section date a milestone?

17 Weeks!

Wow, I really need to clean that mirror, huh?


How far along? 17 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 3 pounds according to the doctor's office last week.

Pregnancy Symptoms: I think I might be in the 2nd trimester honeymoon phase! No morning sickness. I'm just really affected by heat right now. And, that stinks since we're in the middle of a heat wave.

Maternity clothes? Yeah. I'm ready for some cooler weather since I have far more cold weather clothes than I do for the summer. Although, I did just buy this the other day. I got it in blue, though. Cute, huh?

Stretch marks? Still hoping to avoid them.

Sleep: This last week has been tough for sleep. It seems like inside baby is a bit nocturnal. So, if I wake up, it's hard to get back to sleep in the middle of the night.

Best moment this week: Hearing the heartbeat with the doppler at the doctor's office. ::whew::

Movement: All the time. I'm not sure if this baby ever sleeps. Or if it does, it's a very active sleeper. Which would make baby just like big brother!

Food cravings: Ice cream has been my friend this week. And, I've been having a bit of a love affair with portobello mushrooms as of late.

Gender: Two more weeks until we find out.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: A glass of wine.

What I am looking forward to: The dog days of summer giving way to the cooler days of fall.

Milestones: Heartbeat on the doppler and consistent, daily movement.

16 Weeks!

How far along? 16 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I think I gained a few pounds this last week.

Pregnancy Symptoms: Ummm. I want to eat. Finally. Yay!

Maternity clothes? Yes. And, it's so cold today that I had to bust out a long sleeved tee.

Stretch marks? No, and I started using some lotion on my belly (and other places that are growing). Not that I think it helps a ton, but the Old Wives' Tale makes me feel better.

Sleep: Since M has been sleeping a bit better, so have I.

Best moment this week: Being able to feel my uterus from the outside. I didn't do this with my first pregnancy since I didn't know what I was looking for. Very cool stuff.

Movement: Yes, especially when I have orange juice.

Food cravings: It really changes with the day.

Gender: Yes, the baby has one. =D

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Being consistent in how I feel. I don't know day to day how I'm going to feel and it's a very frustrating feeling.

What I am looking forward to: Our OB appointment tomorrow.

Milestones: I'm 4 months now...I think. Haha.

15 Weeks!

How far along? 15 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Even! Woohoo! I can't wait to brag to the doctor about it next week! haha

Pregnancy Symptoms: I thought throwing up ended near the 2nd trimester???

Maternity clothes? Yes. Did you know that horizontal stripes are not flattering? Huh? Didja know???

Stretch marks? Nada

Sleep: When I don't have really strange dreams, I love my sleep!

Best moment this week: My super long nap on Sunday. ::Thanks, Rob!::

Movement: Feeling flutters daily now.

Food cravings: Nothing really. But, kudos to my husband for going out and getting me ice cream without me even asking! Love that man!

Gender: We find out in 4 weeks. Rob thinks boy. I think girl.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Belly sleeping.

What I am looking forward to: Doing nothing. Seriously, between vacation and our trip to St. Louis, I'm e.x.h.a.u.s.t.e.d!!!

Milestones: Nothing new! Just counting the weeks.

14 Weeks!

So, before I answer my weekly questions, I have to apologize. I wasn't here for week 13. We were on vacation with my in-laws down the Cape. We had a great time and M loved the beach and the water. We didn't get eaten by any of the sharks nearby either. Win-win situation!

How far along? 14 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I'm still down one pound from pre-pregnancy. If this keeps up, I'll have to mention it to the doctor.

Pregnancy Symptoms: If I don't have orange juice every morning, I feel hungover for the whole day.

Maternity clothes? Definitely.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Yes. Usually 8-10 hours a night, plus a nap if I can sneak one in.

Best moment this week: Getting home from vacation. We had a great time, but it's nice to be back in our own beds, with our own routine. Even if for just a few days.

Movement: Last Thursday (13w2d), I was playing cards with Rob and his parents. I felt a little flutter right where the baby is. I'm pretty sure it was him/her saying 'Hi'.

Food cravings: I guess you could count orange juice.

Gender: I still think girl.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Beer

What I am looking forward to: Totally not baby-related, but I'm looking forward to going to St. Louis this week to see Rob's cousin graduate from boot camp. Yay, Mark!

Milestones: Feeling the bean move was pretty cool. But, HELLO!? I'm in the 2nd Trimester!!!

::clinks champagne glass::
::realizes I can't drink it::
::pours it over my belly::

I hope you all have a fantabulous week. xoxo!

12 Weeks!

How far along? 12 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I'm now down one pound from pre-pregnancy weight. I can't figure out why. I'm pretty sure I gained three in each breast alone already!

Pregnancy Symptoms: I've been getting a little sick to my stomach. But, other than that, just the fatigue still.

Maternity clothes? Mat clothes from here on out!

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Only when M lets me. Lately, he's been up a couple times a night and I'm like a zombie during the day.

Best moment this week: When I took the bean to see Bon Jovi! I have to expose this child to good music early.

Movement: No movement that I can feel from the inside. But, I'm pretty sure I could feel my uterus from the outside this morning. It was very cool and I made Rob feel it too.

Food cravings: I just crave food in general.

Gender: I'm starting to feel girl.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Coffee

What I am looking forward to: Our NT scan is on Thursday of this week. I'm really looking forward to the long ultrasound so we can just watch the bean for a while.

Milestones: Not much.

11 Weeks!

How far along? 11 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I'm back down to my weight from before this pregnancy.

Pregnancy Symptoms: Well, last night, I had my first bout of true morning sickness. After a fantastic dinner at a nice steakhouse, I lost my dinner in a parking lot on the way home. =(

Maternity clothes? Yes. I wore my new Motherhood Maternity top to dinner last night. It's from the Heidi Klum collection and it's so comfy.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: I've started sleeping with my Snoogle again. It's like the Berlin Wall in our bed, but it helps me sleep so soundly.

Best moment this week: When Rob took M to his mom's to swim and I had a few hours to myself on Sunday.

Movement: I still think it's too early. But, I'd swear that I felt some movement last week while lying on the couch.

Food cravings: None really.

Gender: I still don't have a feeling either way. Rob thinks it's another boy.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Pinot Noir.

What I am looking forward to: Getting out of the 1st Trimester.

Milestones: Nothing major this week...other than the morning sickness.

10 Weeks!

How far along? 10 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Still at one pound

Pregnancy Symptoms: Pregnant brain and headaches. I wonder if one has to do with the other.

Maternity clothes? Yep! Haven't bought anything new but am considering another pair of shorts. Only having two means much, much more laundry for me.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: I love sleep. Especially when M lets me have it.

Best moment this week: Not one particular moment, but I'm starting to relax a little with this pregnancy and not worry so much.

Movement: Too early.

Food cravings: Ice cream

Gender: I have no idea.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: My friend, Hunter, (and her kiddies) who left after spending a long weekend with us.

What I am looking forward to: Our next appointment. It's just paperwork, but I just feel like I want everything in order.

Milestones: 1/4 of the way through today! Woohoo!

9 Weeks!

How far along? 9 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Still at one pound

Pregnancy Symptoms: Pregnant brain. It's bad. Very, very bad.

Maternity clothes? Oh yes. Definitely can't fit into regular clothes anymore.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Would love it.

Best moment this week: Starting my 3rd month. I'm so relieved and excited since we haven't gotten this far since M came along.

Movement: Too early.

Food cravings: Ice cream

Gender: I still don't have a feeling one way or another. But, the girls at the Early Intervention parent group did the "ring on a string" thing and it came out as girl.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: A nice cold beer on a super hot day.

What I am looking forward to: Shopping for this baby. I already have some things in mind that I want to get but until we know the gender, I don't think we'll be doing any of that.

Milestones: Nothing new in the way of milestones. Just trying to enjoy every day of this pregnancy. Last night, I realized that I'll be a quarter of the way through this pregnancy next week. It's flying by!

8 Weeks!

How far along? 8 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Still just one pound.

Pregnancy Symptoms: Still have fatigue, pregnant brain, sensitive sniffer. But, add to that the "gray period."

Maternity clothes? Yes. I haven't bought anything new. But, I've been spending a lot of time in my maternity swimsuit that I got at Target when I was pregnant the first time.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: I could easily take two naps a day.

Best moment this week: Sleeping as much as I wanted this past weekend.

Movement: Too early.

Food cravings: Not really craving anything right now. I just have to eat every 2-3 hours so I don't feel sick.

Gender: No idea.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Coffee.

What I am looking forward to: I have my first appointment with the OB on Friday this week. I'm really anxious to go into that office and have a "good news" appointment. I haven't had one of those in SO long!

Milestones: Nothing new!

Update

I had another ultrasound this morning. It looks like my due date is definitely off. I only measure 7w1d as of today. But, everything looks fantastic! My EDD is officially February 8, 2011! Nice strong heartbeat of 130bpm. And, I was released to my OB from the RE's office. Yay!

I will now be doing my weekly updates on Tuesdays. I hope to add belly pics weekly, too. It's still kind of early for that now, but I am definitely showing...even if it's just the bloating.

Ta-ta!

7 weeks!

How far along? 7 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Up one pound

Pregnancy Symptoms: Fatigue, pregnant brain, sensitive sniffer

Maternity clothes? I've given in. Do I necessarily need to wear them? No. But, they are SO comfy and I don't like having anything tight around my belly!

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Yes, please!

Best moment this week: Seeing and hearing the heartbeat! 122bpm!

Movement: Nada

Food cravings: Mexican, please!

Gender: You got me!

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Froo-froo cheeses!

What I am looking forward to: Having one more ultrasound on June 23, then being released to my OB.

Milestones: Um, did you read above? We saw and heard the heartbeat! Yayayayay!!!

6 Weeks!

How far along? 6 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Even

Pregnancy Symptoms: Fatigue, pregnant brain, and some monster caffeine headaches

Maternity clothes? Just the Bella Band still. And, some shirts because they're comfy. But, I went to Motherhood with a friend the other day and got a pair of shorts, a Red Sox maternity shirt and a gorgeous Heidi Klum creation on clearance.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: I sleep pretty hard. But, if I wake up in the middle of the night, it takes for-ev-er to get back to sleep.

Best moment this week: Getting our final beta number. It's astronomical!

Movement: Nada

Food cravings: Not yet.

Gender: No idea really.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Two words: Pinot Noir

What I am looking forward to: Our first ultrasound next Wednesday (June 16). Squeeee! I can't wait to see our baby!

Milestones: Two days ago marked the 5w5d point, where I lost one of my previous babes. And, today marks 6 weeks, where I lost another one of my babes.

5 Weeks!

How far along? 5 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Even

Pregnancy Symptoms: Fatigue, pregnant brain

Maternity clothes? I admit to wearing a little bit since they are comfy. I've been wearing my Bella Band for the last few days.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Definitely need more of it now and I am sleeping much deeper.

Best moment this week: Getting our second beta number. It was awesome!

Movement: Way too early for that.

Food cravings: Nothing specific. I just get hungry sooner than I'm used to.

Gender: I don't have a feeling either way yet.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: My memory. Short and long term have suffered. This baby is eating away at my brain.

What I am looking forward to: Another blood draw at 5w3d.

Milestones: We got great beta results and we were ecstatic!

4 Weeks!!

Ok, so this might be a surprise to the handful of you that read this. Haha. Keep reading.

How far along? 4 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Even
Pregnancy Symptoms: Congestion, bitty pains that I consider to be bean-burrowing, and fatigue. A lot of fatigue.

Maternity clothes? I actually wore a tank from Old Navy Maternity today. Not because I needed to. But, because it's a longer tank and it was super comfy.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Yes, please.

Best moment this week: When I saw two lines on my pregnancy test. I had tested 2 days earlier and got a negative.

Movement: Way too early for that.

Food cravings: Nothing yet.

Gender: I don't have a feeling either way yet.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Being able to have a beer at our Memorial Day picnic.

What I am looking forward to: Tuesday morning's beta numbers.

Milestones: All we've got right now are the two pink lines and our first beta number.

More later. It's 9pm and I'm EXHAUSTED!

Night Terrors

A while back, I had a conversation about night terrors and my toddler with an Early Intervention specialist. I thought it was worth sharing with the world. Or the world that reads my blog. Which I guess is not with the entire world. But, my own little world. Anyway...

What is a night terror? By my own definition, it is more than a nightmare. It is a frightening experience for parents. It is when your child is screaming and crying and no level of comfort will help them - because they are not actually awake. It can go on for an hour or more. It can wear down even the best of parents and long after your little one has gone back to sleep, you will lie in bed with eyes wide open. O_O And, hoping that it never happens again.

For some children, it only happens once in a great while. For others, it's a nightly occurrence. The specialist I spoke with had some first hand experience with night terrors. Her niece suffered for years - until about 6 years old with them. However, she and her sister took the little girl to a sleep specialist around two years old. And, they found a solution that worked for her.

If you and your child suffer from your child's night terrors, here's a possible solution. About an hour after your child falls asleep at night, they are in some of their deepest REM sleep. At that point, go into their room and sit them up. Wake them up so that their eyes are open. And, then let them immediately lay back down. 99% of children will go right back to sleep. But, what you just did will interrupt their REM sleep. Now, I don't know the science behind it. However, the interruption in REM sleep is enough that the sleep cycles reset themselves and somehow stop the night terrors.

It worked for the little girl. Occasionally her mother would try to not do it. And, her terrors persisted. However, she outgrew it around her 6th birthday and hasn't had any problems since. I'm sure talking to a pediatrician or a sleep specialist will give you more information about this matter. But, if you have these problems in your house at 2am, you might want to give this a shot. It can't hurt. And, it's easy to do.

And, that's all the wisdom I have for today, folks!

xoxo

Spring Cleaning!

There's something therapeutic about doing spring cleaning each year. Old with the old, in with the new. Or, maybe not new. In with the clean! It's such a lot of work each year, but I feel so much better after its done.

One of my biggest items on the list is decluttering. I hate clutter. And, with a toddler, it's hard to keep up with it. I clean one area and he's already into making his mark on another area. But, this year, if something hasn't been used in the last year, its outta here! I'm serious about that. There are a few websites that I plan to fully use in order to accomplish this monumental task.

Craiglist: Even if there are things that I'm willing to give away for free, they are going on CL. I might even do a "Curb Alert", letting all of my local area know there's stuff to be picked up at the end of my driveway...FOR FREE!

Paperbackswap: www.paperbackswap.com. Bookmark it! If you like to read and keep buying books - whether they are hardcover or softcover, but they are just sitting around collecting dust, this site is for you! It's much easier than amazon or ebay to use for "selling" your books. It's really easy. All you need to do is create a profile and put in the "ISBN" number on the back of your books. The site will collect all of the info for your book. Then, usually pretty quickly, you'll get notified that someone wants the book. Bring it to the post office, mail it out (you need to pay shipping yourself) and once they receive it, you get a credit for the book. Then, you can buy books with credits. The only time you pay for anything is when you ship out books. That way, there's no questioning how much something is going to cost to ship and then quoting a price to the buyer. I've used this site a bunch. It works. Try it.

With that, I'm off to finish cleaning my bathroom.

xoxo!

Bad blogger, bad, bad blogger

Yep, the title of this post. That's me. I can't believe it's been over a month since I updated. Let's see...where to start?

I had my surgery on March 3. I won't get into a ton of gory details. But, let's just say that it wasn't as easy as I was hoping it would be. I was in a lot of pain and it took about 2 weeks for me to feel back to normal. On a positive note, my RE removed a ton of scar tissue. It was most likely from my problems after M was born. My RE is 75% sure that is why I couldn't carry a child to term. So, we're all hoping this was what I needed to fix it. I go for my follow up SHG (saline ultrasound) to see that everything is healing properly and we can move on to the next stage of our lives.

March Madness has been a part of our household. Lots of basketball to be watched. The tournament has been a trainwreck in terms of our brackets. But, it's been a ton of fun to watch.

And, we got hit with the Flood of 2010. Our basement flooded this past week and we lost the carpeting in our finished basement. But, we didn't have it as bad as some others - we didn't lose any of our furniture. Just some carpet and a little sheetrock. We count ourselves as lucky ones. We're still cleaning out the basement, but it looks like our master plan includes re-sealing the basement, tile flooring, sheetrock replaced and some throw rugs on the floor.

Whew! It's been busy around here. But, I feel better just writing this all out - very therapeutic.

Until next time...xoxo!

Tiger, dear, Tiger

Yesterday was Tiger Woods' public statement. I admit. I watched. I wanted to see what he was going to say. He apologized. Profusely. He apologized to his fans, his sponsors, his friends, his mother and his wife. Okay. It's done. Now, he can get on with his life.

I understand that part of the whole "Tiger Woods" phenomenon was and is the public persona. The perfect man. The incredible golfer, dedicated family man, friendly guy. But, as I told my husband last night, I will encourage Tiger Woods as a role model for our son. Why? He's not perfect. No one is. He's made a mistake and he might very well pay by losing his family. I don't know. That's up to him and his wife. But, I would never want my son to think that anyone is perfect. Because we're not. As Rob puts it, it's not Tiger's responsibility to guide our son. It's ours. We, as his parents, will be teaching him right from wrong, good from evil. It's unfair to our son to place that responsibility on anyone else. We are his parents.

I look forward to seeing Tiger on the golf course again. And, I truly hope everything works out for him and his beautiful family.

Woohoo!

I'm so excited! My surgery is set for March 3.

Is it normal to be excited for surgery? Probably not. But, then again, who said I was normal? Not I. So, what exactly am I excited about? I'm not excited about the IV. Or the recovery time. Or any of the pain.

But, I AM excited about what this means. This means that the next time I get pregnant, I might be able to stay pregnant. For 10 whole months. Through all the morning sickness and fatigue. And, in the end, have what we hope and wish for - the newest member of our family.

Saturday ramblings

It's been a while since my last post. I'm really trying to get better at this whole blogging thing. I just seemed to get sidetracked. And, frankly, I'm not sure with what. Meh, I'm here now and typing away. So much is going on.

I had the appointment with the RE last week. I really liked her which means I now officially love all of these doctors that are trying to get me pregnant again! We were there for about an hour and a half and they were very thorough. They even did blood work on both of us. The RE wants me to have one more test, an SHG, which is less painful than an HSG. (Yay!) She just wants to take another peek to see what's going on. But, as it stands, I will be having surgery sometime in the next month or so. I hope its sooner than later so we can fix everything and hopefully have a positive outcome.

I find it very funny that whenever we talk about the hemorrhage after Maddux, we get raised eyebrows. The RE and her intern were in the room talking with us. This is how it played out.

Me: I had no complications while pregnant, but I did have a hemorrhage after he was born.

RE: Oh, you had one right after?

Me: No. Ten days later.

RE: O_O

Intern: O_O

And, all eyebrows were raised over those shocked and blank looks. Rob and I actually find the reactions funny. But, really, it must mean that it's just so rare that most people don't usually hear about it. Eh, whatever. It's in the past. All we can do is hope it doesn't happen again.

It looks like we are a bit more public in our struggles this time around. I know Rob talked to someone in his family who he's had a hard time keeping this all from. I think it made him feel better that he now has someone else he can talk to about it. It's not that we weren't telling people before, but we were really selective in who knew about our miscarriages. We live in a small town and weren't ready to share with everyone before. My! How times have changed. Oddly enough, I look forward to talking about it a little. When I get asked "Oh, when will Maddux be a big brother?", I get tired of the standard "Someday" answer. I would love to gently educate those who inquire that we've had some struggles since having him and can't wait to have another one. But, sometimes, it hurts so much to have to answer that question, I just want to scream - "I HAVE FOUR BABIES! I CAN ONLY HOLD ONE!" But, that would be mean of me to put a well-meaning person on the spot like that. So, I'm hoping with some gentle education, maybe the inquirers will learn that it's a really personal question and not always appropriate to ask.

Who knows? It could backfire. I wonder who the first person will be to tell me to "Relax", and it will happen. Uh, yeah. I'm going to revert to the 90's and put my thumbs together making a "W" with my fingers. Whatever! No, it will not happen if I just relax. I need medical intervention to stay pregnant. Otherwise, I will be having more miscarriages. And, frankly, I don't know why I need to have more than three. I've had my share...and then some.

I definitely need to write more. This is so cathartic. But, alas, I must run off and do some housework while the babe is sleeping. Until next time...

HSG results in!

Looks like there's a surgery in my future. Again. That means another IV. I hate IVs. I mean, no one likes needles - I get that. But, I really hate IVs. Maybe it's just because it seems that every time they try to give me one, it takes a few tries. C'mon people! Help a sistah out! Just send the anesthesiologist right away - I don't want an amateur sticking me with a thick needle!

Ok, so back to the point of my post. My results show either one large fibroid or a bunch of little polyps. So, I'm having some surgery to remove it/them and hopefully that will solve my problem. Before I have it, I'll be going to a reproductive endocrinologist next week. Dr. G just wants a second opinion but she is 99% sure that the surgery will be done.

I feel ridiculously relieved that we finally have some answers. Since patience is not a virtue I possess, I'm also really happy that we got answers now...rather than months from now.

Secondary Infertility

Two words that I didn't expect to hear. Two words that I didn't want to hear. My only exposure to infertility (IF) is negative. It's heartbreaking, ruthless and the cause of countless tears.

I suppose I should start at the beginning. Yesterday, I had an HSG. If you want to know the full term, feel free to google. I'm kinda lazy this morning. Basically, it was a dye test to see what was going on in my ute. Fun times. Especially when it took 3 tries to get the catheter in. Meh, this might be TMI, but since I've had Maddux, most of my modesty flew far, far away. Anyway, the radiologist who ended up doing the procedure asked if I was there due to infertility. I said "no." I didn't have a problem getting pregnant. Only staying that way. Then, she said, "I'm sorry to tell you this, dear, but that's secondary infertility."

O_O <----That's me wide eyed. What was this woman talking about? I'm not infertile. I can't be! I couldn't wait to get home and do some googling of my own. But, alas, Google does not lie. Infertility is not just the inability to get pregnant, it's the inability to stay pregnant and carry to full term.

Needless to say, it was shocking. Not what I was expecting. I'm hoping to talk to my own OB at some point today to go over the results of my HSG and ask her about Secondary IF. Wish me luck with that conversation. I have a feeling that, once again, my poor OB will be consoling a crying me. Have I told you about my OB, Dr, G? No? Oh, well, let me tell you - I love her! Seriously, love, love, love her. I want to have her over for dinner and wine. If I could have a dinner party with 5 people, I'd have her, Michelle Obama, Oprah and Rachael Ray. Oh, and me, of course. Dr. G has been my biggest cheerleader with my pregnancies. She's there with support when I need it, answers when I need them and silent hugs when I need those too.

I digress. But, you get the point. I love Dr. G. But, I do hope that we get some further answers with this last set of tests. This is the one I'd been waiting for. So, if I have to be labeled with Secondary IF, at least let me get some closure on why all of this is happening with my results.

Oh, Pilates..

how I loathe you.

Seriously. I know it's not supposed to be easy. But, in the words of my deceased grandmother - HOLY MACKERAL!

I went to the gym yesterday and did the elliptical, in my quest to get back into shape. So, instead of going again today, I thought I'd do some Pilates On Demand. It was 20 minutes - how hard could it be?

First, let me tell you, I used to be in exceptional shape. I was fairly athletic and was a gymnast growing up. So, I have a decent set of "base" muscles. I have no idea if that's actually true but it sounds good, doesn't it? Until I had my son, my body would easily bounce back into an OK shape if I worked at it a little. For lack of any other ideas, I always thought it was because of my gymnastics background.

I digress. Pilates is evil. At least, when I have no tone in my abs to speak of. I know I will be feeling this tomorrow.

There is an upside, though. I found a pretty neat little ab exercise that I would never do anywhere but the privacy of my own living room. But, I will share with the interwebz. Here goes:

Lie on your back on the floor.
Raise your feet straight up so you look like an "L".
Now, shimmy your hips back and forth, keeping your hips on the floor.

I know, you are laughing. I was too. But, that was quite the burn I felt in my core. So, if nothing else, I have a little move to do for my abs other than the basic crunches.

So, will I ever attempt Pilates again? Maybe. I'm not ruling it out. I may just give myself a little time and opportunity to tone up a little and lose a little belly flab. Maybe that will make it more bearable.

2010 - You're here!

I'm so happy to see you! Yet, you bring much snow, wind and cold with you. What is up with that?

Our New Year's was uneventful. We had dinner with friends, came back to our house, drank Gingerbreak martinis and watched some idiot jump over water in a car. But, more important - we spent time with good friends. And, the martinis were good. It couldn't get any better than that.

On a sadder note, Rob's great grandmother passed last week. She was 105 years old. What a great, long life. She suffered toward the end, so I hope she is at peace now. I can't imagine being 105. I mean, did she always have indoor plumbing? Or, what was it like to see the invention of television? While I have no burning desire to live that long, I can't help but think about all of the history she was alive to experience. WWI, WWII, and all other wars of the century. The Great Depression. Even the introduction of automobiles. Wow. I'm in awe. The services are later today and tomorrow, and I will be celebrating this strong woman's life and doing my best not to mourn her death. RIP, Nana!

Stay warm all. Until next time!

xoxo